CHENNAI: Two years after it was formally inaugurated, Tamil Nadu’s first 800 MW Super Critical Thermal Power Station located at Athipattu village in Tiruvallur district has started commercial production of power. The commercialisation of the North Chennai Super Critical Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) Stage III, the state’s biggest, is expected to help Tamil Nadu meet peak demand during summer and reduce its dependency on private power.
The Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC) has projected Tamil Nadu’s summer power demand to touch 22,000 MW. In past years, the discom had met peak demand by buying power from exchanges at exorbitant rates, going up to `18 per unit. This year, NCTPS Stage III can generate 15.36 MU per day at 80% PLF (plant load factor), thereby helping reduce costly purchases.
This is the first commercial production of electricity at a plant owned by the Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited anywhere in the state in nearly 12 years. The last major power generation project commissioned by the state was the North Chennai stage-II thermal power plant on May 8, 2014.
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) chairman and managing director J Radhakrishnan, along with senior officials, inspected the plant on Monday. The foundation for the plant was laid in 2010, and it has gone live after 16 years.
Speaking to TNIE, TNPGCL managing director M Govinda Rao said that as per norms, the plant must be run continuously for 72 hours before it can be declared commercially operational. “We achieved this milestone starting 4.30 am on January 21, marking the official Commercial Declaration Date (COD) on Saturday (January 24),” he said. The plant has generated 3,002.004 million units of electricity till January 25.
Technical works at plant complete
Though the plant was earlier synchronised with the state grid, a few technical works related to fuel handling systems, boilers and cooling water pumps were pending.
All these have now been completed, he added. Special importance has been given to safety and pollution control measures. As part of green initiatives, 18,000 saplings have been planted inside the plant.
“We are planning to plant another 67,000,” he said. NCTPS stage III was originally scheduled for completion by 2019, but the project faced delays due to Covid pandemic and environmental clearances, officials said.
In February 2021, the then CM EPS inaugurated the boiler light-up. The plant was formally inaugurated for power generation by CM MK Stalin in March 2024.